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Musical Instrument Museum LED Retrofit with RETRO-Passive

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Musical Instrument Museum LED Retrofit with RETRO-Passive

The Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) in Phoenix, Arizona, is home to more than 6,800 musical instruments on display and over 13,600 instruments in its full collection. The Musical Instrument Museum LED retrofit later updated the auditorium lighting with a quieter, lower-maintenance LED solution designed around the needs of live performance.

When the museum started planning an LED upgrade for its auditorium, sound was just as important as light output. The Musical Instrument Museum LED retrofit needed to provide reliable house lighting without adding noticeable mechanical noise to a room designed for live music. The museum also wanted to cut down on the routine maintenance that came with replacing traditional lamps.

CantoUSA nach der RETRO-Installation Musikinstrumentenmuseum Foto

Musical Instrument Museum LED Retrofit: Finding a Quiet Solution

The Musical Instrument Museum worked with Clearwing Systems Integration on the auditorium upgrade. Because the room is used for live performances, the new lighting needed to operate quietly without adding distracting fan noise during a show.

The RETRO-Classic® operates at approximately 19 dB under specified conditions, but MIM wanted to take cooling-fan noise out of the room completely. That made the fanless RETRO-Passive® a better fit for the auditorium.

The finished installation used 29 RETRO-Passive 500 units at 2700K. The 2700K color temperature kept the warm look the auditorium needed, while the passive cooling design allowed the lights to operate without mechanical cooling fans.

Why Fanless LED Lighting Matters in Performance Spaces

Fan noise may not stand out in an office, classroom, or other everyday space. In an auditorium, however, even a low level of background sound can become noticeable during a quiet part of a performance.

RETRO-Passive uses passive cooling instead of a mechanical fan. For MIM, that meant the auditorium house lights could be converted to LED without adding another sound source to the room.

That was especially important in a museum built around music and listening. The lighting needed to support the space without becoming something the audience could hear..

Why 2700K Worked for the Auditorium

Quiet operation was only part of the project. The museum also wanted to keep the warm appearance of its existing auditorium lighting.

The 2700K color temperature selected for the RETRO-Passive 500 units provided the warmer light the room called for while allowing MIM to move to LED. The goal was not to change the appearance of the auditorium, but to update the lighting technology while keeping the atmosphere familiar.

Canto USA’s RETRO Series LED retrofit kits are designed for projects where compatible existing fixtures can remain in place. That gave MIM a way to update the light source without automatically replacing the entire lighting setup.

Reducing Auditorium Lighting Maintenance

Lower maintenance was another goal of the Musical Instrument Museum LED retrofit.

Changing a lamp above auditorium seating can take more work than it might seem. Depending on the fixture location, staff may need access equipment, enough room to work, and an open period between performances or other scheduled events.

Moving the house lights to LED reduced how often those lamp changes would be needed. For a busy auditorium, that meant fewer routine maintenance interruptions and less time spent reaching fixtures simply to replace lamps.

At Clearwing’s AVL Expo in December 2018, Joel Harris, House Audio Engineer and Technician at the Musical Instrument Museum, stopped by the Canto USA booth and shared his approval of the products.

An LED Retrofit Built Around the Auditorium

The Musical Instrument Museum LED retrofit was planned around the needs of the room. MIM needed warm 2700K house lighting, a fanless design that would not add cooling noise, and an LED option that could reduce the amount of routine lamp maintenance.

With 29 RETRO-Passive 500 units, the museum was able to move its auditorium house lights to LED while keeping the quiet environment needed for live performances. The project addressed the lighting, sound, and maintenance needs of the auditorium without making the upgrade more complicated than it needed to be.

RETRO Series LED Retrofit Kits

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Canto USA’s RETRO Series Fully Dimmable LED Retrofit Houselights

Canto USA is proud to present our RETRO series. The RETRO-Fusion® 2.0 and RETRO-Passive® 2.0  are 0-100% phase dimmable (forward and reverse) variable wattage LED 2700K-6500K 80-97 CRI engines. They are designed for older SCR, TRIAC, and IGBT dimmer systems but are compatible with newer dimmer systems. A direct replacement of existing lamps, our LED retrofit can be used in a wide range of applications or even new installations. Custom and standard mounting options are available.

Westwood High School Auditorium Retrofit

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Westwood High School in Mesa, Arizona, underwent an auditorium retrofit to improve light output for orchestra, band, choir, drama, assemblies, rehearsals, and other campus events. The upgrade focused on providing usable light at the auditorium’s throw distances so seating areas, aisles, and performance zones received consistent illumination.

Unlike many older auditoriums where fixture access is the primary maintenance concern, Westwood’s fixtures were relatively easy to reach. The limiting factor was lamp output: the existing lamps weren’t delivering enough usable light for the distance between the houselights and the areas they needed to illuminate. Clearwing Systems Integration worked with the school to evaluate options and specify an LED retrofit that addressed those conditions.

In 2017, Westwood had 60 RETRO-Classic® 700s at 3000K and 14 RETRO-Classic 150s at 3000K installed. It has been a “night and day change” according to Jill Maurer, Systems Design Engineer. “It is so bright in that auditorium since the retrofit was completed.”

Westwood High School auditorium before RETRO retrofit

Addressing Light Output and Throw Distance

The goal at Westwood wasn’t simply to switch to LEDs; it was to provide enough output to work effectively with the auditorium’s existing fixture locations and throw distances. Selecting a mix of RETRO-Classic 700 and 150 models allowed the design team to match light levels to different parts of the room—higher-output units where needed and lower-output units where appropriate.

Canto USA’s RETRO Series LED retrofit kits are designed to upgrade existing houselights so venues can retain much of their lighting infrastructure while improving lumen output, consistency, and dimming compatibility.

Using both RETRO-Classic 700 and 150 units let the team match the light level more closely to each part of the room. The 700s handled areas that needed more output, while the 150s worked better where less light was called for. Matching the light source to the application—considering throw distance, fixture placement, color temperature, and room use—is a key part of a successful auditorium retrofit.

The completed installation created a noticeable change in the auditorium. As Jill Maurer said, “It is so bright in that auditorium since the retrofit was completed.” That improved, consistent light supports performances, rehearsals, assemblies, and community events throughout the year.

Improving a Busy Performing Arts Space

School auditoriums are multi-use spaces. A well-planned auditorium retrofit does more than reduce wattage: it delivers dependable light where and when people need it—on stage, in seating areas, and along aisles—while minimizing maintenance and ensuring dimming compatibility for theatrical and presentation needs.

Westwood High School auditorium after RETRO retrofit

Other district auditoriums presented different challenges that the RETRO family handled by adapting to each venue’s requirements. For example, the Dobson High School project dealt with fixture access and uneven light levels, while the Red Mountain High School installation addressed difficult maintenance access. These case studies illustrate how RETRO products can be configured around different auditorium layouts.

For Westwood, the main challenge was clear: the existing lamps simply were not delivering enough light over the required distance. Selecting RETRO-Classic models with higher output where needed allowed the school to improve usable light while maintaining the existing fixture layout.

Related Canto USA Installations

We’re pleased that our lights have made the client and dealer happy and that they’re part of the shows and presentations at Westwood.

RETRO Series LED Retrofit Kits

RETRO Series LED Retrofit Kits product imageTechnische Datenblätter und mehr anzeigen

Canto USA’s RETRO Series Fully Dimmable LED Retrofit Houselights

Canto USA is proud to present our RETRO series. The RETRO-Fusion® 2.0 and RETRO-Passive® 2.0  are 0-100% phase dimmable (forward and reverse) variable wattage LED 2700K-6500K 80-97 CRI engines. They are designed for older SCR, TRIAC, and IGBT dimmer systems but are compatible with newer dimmer systems. A direct replacement of existing lamps, our LED retrofit can be used in a wide range of applications or even new installations. Custom and standard mounting options are available.

New Coat of Paint and Seats? No—New Lights: Replacing Auditorium Houselights

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Dwain McMillan, Lead Sound Support and Lighting Tech for Fairfax County Public Schools, had a personal connection to this project. As a graduate of Fairfax High School, he had even more reason to want the auditorium lighting upgrade done right.

For Artistic Concepts Group, Canto USA’s RETRO Series LED retrofit kits had already become a go-to option for replacing older auditorium houselights. At Fairfax High School, the existing system gave them another opportunity to put that approach to work.

Replacing 105 Auditorium Houselights

The auditorium originally used 105 500-watt E11 mini candelabra lamps. Those were replaced with 3000K RETRO-Classic® 500 E11 mini candelabras with short reflectors.

The new RETRO-Classic units work with the auditorium’s existing ETC Sensor3 Dimmer Rack, allowing the school to keep its familiar dimming system while significantly cutting the amount of power used by the houselights.

Each fixture dropped from 500 watts to just 49 watts. Across all 105 fixtures, that reduced the total load from 52,500 watts to 5,145 watts—just over a 90% reduction in power.

The project also reported a 30–40% improvement in the room’s light quality. That comparison assumes the old system was fully lamped, which was not always the case. The previous lamps could begin going out after only two to three months of use, making it harder to maintain consistent lighting throughout the auditorium.

CantoUSA RETRO Vorher Nachher Fairfax High School Foto

The change was immediately noticeable. Fairfax High School’s drama teacher was especially happy that he could clearly see the seats again.

The brighter, more consistent houselighting made the room look as though it had received a much larger makeover. It may have looked like new paint and new seats, but the biggest change was simply replacing the old auditorium houselights.

For a school auditorium, that improvement goes beyond appearance. Better houselighting makes it easier for students, staff, and guests to move through the seating area while giving the school a much more usable lighting system without replacing the existing dimming infrastructure.

See the Fairfax High School Before and After

Below is a before-and-after time-lapse showing the auditorium lighting upgrade.

The video was recorded with a smartphone, so some iris and aperture adjustment may be visible as the houselights dim up and down.

Want to view a before and after gallery slider of this job? Click Here

RETRO-Fusion® 2.0

CantoUSA RETRO-Fusion Serie Produktfoto

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RETRO-Passiv® 2.0

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Northern Virginia High School Shines a Little Light on the Subject — RETRO auditorium lighting

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Falls Church High School in Northern Virginia has an active performing arts program that includes theatre, band, orchestra, choir, guitar, and music theory. With the auditorium regularly supporting school performances and community events, improving the houselighting could make a noticeable difference without requiring a complete redesign of the room.

For this auditorium lighting retrofit, Canto USA’s RETRO Series was used to improve brightness, coverage, and energy efficiency while keeping the school’s existing lighting positions and dimming infrastructure in place.

Updating an Older School Auditorium

Built in the 1960s, the Falls Church High School auditorium had been operating with 38 200-watt long-neck A lamps.

Rather than replacing the existing fixtures or changing their locations, the project focused on upgrading the light source inside the existing system. All 38 original lamps were replaced with 3000K RETRO-Classic® 500 units without reflectors and fitted with lamp extenders.

The RETRO-Classic® 500 was an earlier generation of Canto USA’s RETRO product family. The current RETRO Series LED retrofit kits continue the same basic approach of upgrading existing fixtures while preserving as much of the original installation as possible.

Working With the Existing ETC Dimming System

The auditorium uses an ETC Sensor3 dimmer rack with standard D20 modules.

The RETRO units were able to work with the existing dimming system, so the school did not have to relocate fixtures or make major mechanical changes to the auditorium’s lighting positions.

That was especially useful for a space that was already in regular use. The goal was to improve what the school had rather than turn the project into a larger renovation.

– The auditorium became 200% brighter according to the installed-lighting measurements provided by the installer
– Lighting distribution evened out to better cover walls and seating areas

More Light With Less Power

After the retrofit, the school reported several noticeable improvements:

  • Power use decreased by approximately 75%
  • Room intensity increased by 200%
  • Light distribution became more even across the auditorium
  • Walls and seating areas received better coverage
  • Existing lighting positions and dimming equipment remained in use

Michael Wysolmerski of Artistic Concepts Group (ACG), the dealer for the installation, explained:

“The client was really interested in improving the overall coverage in the room. Because the RETRO was able to have adjustable optics, we were able to change coverage in the auditorium without having to make modifications to any of the existing lighting positions.”

That flexibility allowed the installer to improve how the room was lit without moving the existing houselights.

A Brighter Auditorium Without Rebuilding the System

Teachers and administrators immediately noticed the difference after the new lighting was installed. The auditorium was considerably brighter, and the improved distribution made the room more useful for performances, events, and everyday activities.

Dwain McMillan, Lead Sound Support and Lighting Tech for Fairfax County Public Schools, described the finished project simply:

“The best solution by far; money well spent.”

For a heavily used school auditorium, the project showed how an LED retrofit could improve the room without requiring the school to replace the complete lighting system.

See the Falls Church High School Before and After

Want a closer look at the installation?

View the Falls Church High School before-and-after project.

The project page shows the original 200-watt lamps alongside the 3000K RETRO-Classic® 500 installation with lamp extenders.

Why RETRO Works for Auditorium Lighting Retrofits

Auditorium houselights can be difficult and expensive to replace when the existing fixture locations, wiring, and dimming system are still usable.

Canto USA’s RETRO approach is built around upgrading the light source while making use of existing infrastructure where the application allows. Depending on the fixture and project, different bases, extensions, reflectors, and other options can be used to fit the existing installation.

At Falls Church High School, that flexibility helped improve light output and coverage without moving the existing fixtures.

Want to view a before and after gallery slider of this job? Click Here

Why RETRO works for auditoriums

The RETRO series is designed to retrofit existing theatrical and auditorium fixtures while maintaining or improving dimmer compatibility and lighting coverage. In this project, the adjustable optics of the RETRO-Classic units let the installer improve wall and seating illumination without moving existing fixtures. For readers interested in more technical details on the RETRO-Classic® 500, see our related case study and product information: Revitalize Your Space with RETRO-Fusion® 2.0 500.

Project credits

Dealer: Artistic Concepts Group (ACG)
Project location: Falls Church High School, Northern Virginia

RETRO-Fusion® 2.0

Canto USA RETRO-Fusion 2.0 product image

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RETRO-Passiv® 2.0

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Let There Be LED Recessed Lighting: RETRO-Classic® 500 Installed at Virginia Church

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Churches looking to reduce energy use do not always need to replace an entire lighting system. Converting older halogen fixtures to LED recessed lighting can lower power consumption while allowing facilities to keep much of their existing lighting infrastructure in place.

McLean Bible Church, a large Northern Virginia congregation with five locations, faced aging lighting, high energy costs, and a limited capital-improvement budget at its Vienna campus. Its theatrical lighting supplier, Artistic Concepts Group (ACG), brought Canto USA in to help develop an LED retrofit solution that could work with the church’s existing recessed house lights.

The original system used 208 500-watt T4 E11 mini candelabra lamps. We replaced them one-for-one with 208 RETRO-Classic® 500 units at 2700K. We selected different optics based on throw distance and used E11 stems of varying lengths to match the depth of the existing recessed cans.

Because the RETRO units fit the existing lighting positions, McLean Bible Church did not need to install additional fixtures to achieve the desired light levels. The retrofit was also straightforward enough that the church’s building engineers completed the installation themselves.

What Changed After the McLean Bible Church Retrofit

  • The retrofit cut power use by about 91%.
  • Room brightness increased by roughly 20% after the new lighting was installed.
  • CO2 emissions were also reduced by about 91%.
  • The church is saving approximately 337,709 kWh each year.
  • Estimated ROI of about 1.7 years based on the original project cost, before utility rebates
  • About $10,000 in additional power-company rebates
  • Serviceable and upgradeable RETRO fixtures helped reduce future maintenance needs.
CantoUSA RETRO Before After LED Recessed lighting for Mclean Bible Church
CantoUSA RETRO Before and After conversion to LED recessed lighting for Mclean Bible Church

Expanding the Halogen-to-LED Conversion

The results at the Vienna campus led McLean Bible Church to use RETRO products in several other areas of the building.

The secondary auditorium received 143 RETRO-Passive® 150 units and 24 RETRO 500s. In the lobby, 22 RETRO 300s were installed in the lower ceiling, and 65 RETRO-Classic® 500s were used in the higher section. The team also installed 35 RETRO 150s in a youth room.

These additional installations allowed the church to extend the benefits of LED recessed lighting into more areas of the facility while continuing to use compatible existing fixtures and infrastructure.

Click here to view a before-and-after gallery slider of this LED recessed lighting project.

RETRO Series LED Retrofit Kits

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Die RETRO-Classic 500 ist ein Zeugnis unserer langjährigen Erfahrung in der Beleuchtungsindustrie und bleibt ein stolzer Pionier unserer RETRO-Produktlinie. Sie ist bekannt für ihre vielseitigen Einsatzmöglichkeiten und fügt sich nahtlos in das Ambiente verschiedener Räume wie Auditorien, Arenen und große Gotteshäuser ein. Ihr zweckmäßiges Design sorgt dafür, dass sie die Erhabenheit von Kongresszentren ergänzt, den einladenden Räumen von Gebäude-Lobbys Würde verleiht und die Integrität von Ausstellungsstücken in Museen bewahrt.

Beyond its adaptability, the RETRO-Classic 500 brings together the elegance of classic aesthetics with the prowess of modern technology. For lighting professionals seeking technical specifications, we have meticulously prepared comprehensive cutsheets detailing the RETRO series capabilities. Furthermore, we understand the importance of accessibility to information; hence, our FAQ page is carefully curated to address common inquiries and provide insightful guidance on installation and operation.